NEW DELHI: In a bid to tackle air pollution throughout the year, the Delhi government has announced a new initiative to install 1,000 water sprinklers on streetlight poles across the city, CM Rekha Gupta said on Wednesday.
Gupta underlined that the move is part of a broader plan to suppress dust, a major contributor to the city’s alarming air quality, not just in winter but throughout the year. The chief minister criticised the former Aam Aadmi Party government for limiting the operation of pollution-control devices like smog guns and sprinklers to just a few months annually.
“Earlier, water sprinklers used to function for just two months of winter. After coming to power, we have understood that air pollution is not a problem for only two months, rather it exists throughout the year,” Gupta said.
The chief minister explained that even summer months bring high dust levels, which can severely impact air quality, much like the autumn and winter seasons. “In summer too, there is a lot of dust in the air and the circumstances are similar like autumn or winter,” she noted. To address this, the Public Works Department (PWD) will deploy 1,000 sprinklers citywide, with four in each of the capital’s 250 municipal wards. These sprinklers, mounted on streetlight poles, are expected to function year-round, particularly on the busy Ring Roads.
“So the water sprinklers and smog guns will now function throughout the year. We are planning to install water sprinklers on the streetlight poles on the Ring Roads,” Gupta said, adding, “We are clear in our policies and efforts, so the results will also be clear.”
The plan comes after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) unseated the AAP in the February Assembly elections, winning 48 of the 70 seats. During the campaign, the BJP had repeatedly raised concerns over the city’s poor air quality and held the previous regime accountable.
Dust is a major source of PM2.5 and PM10 — fine and coarse particulate matter that can cause serious respiratory problems by entering the lungs and bloodstream.